Section 4031 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 required a study to determine the feasibility of operating SNAP, or an alternative model of benefit delivery, in the CNMI. This report assesses the CNMI's capacity to administer SNAP in six key SNAP program areas; describes potential barriers to implementing SNAP and modifications that might be needed; and explores which elements of SNAP could be implemented under the existing block grant structure.

Section 4004 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 required a study to determine the feasibility of Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) administering federal nutrition assistance programs in lieu of state agencies. This study presents broad general findings regarding tribal interest in administering nutrition assistance programs, ability to administer all or parts of these programs, and potential challenges.

This is the 11th in a series of annual reports that examines the administrative accuracy of eligibility determinations and benefit issuance for free or reduced-price meals in the National School Lunch Program.

This study examines the impact of SNAP asset limits on low-income households’ financial stability, including their participation in traditional financial markets and their ability to weather financial shocks. It found that low-income households with relatively high asset holdings were older and had more education compared to other low-income households.

The Food and Nutrition Service conducted the Direct Certification with Medicaid (DC-M) demonstration that enables selected States and districts to use household income data from Medicaid files to directly certify students for free school meals. This report focuses on the experiences of States and districts conducting DC-M during School Year (SY) 2013-2014, the second year of the demonstration. It examines whether DC-M leads to changes in the percentage of students certified, the number of meals served, Federal reimbursements, and certification costs incurred by districts. It also assesses State-level administrative costs and identifies the challenges that States and districts face when implementing DC-M.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides nutrition assistance to Tribal communities through the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). The last nationally representative study of FDPIR was based on 1989 data. Since that time, there have been many changes in FDPIR affecting eligibility, warehouse operations and distribution, customer service, and improvements in the types and variety of products offered in the food package. This report provides an update of FDPIR participant characteristics and program operations, based on a nationally representative sample of participants and sites.

This report is the latest in a series of annual reports presenting information on estimated national SNAP participation rates among people eligible for benefits under federal income and asset rules.

The WIC Nutrition Education Study (NEST) provides detailed information on WIC nutrition education services and includes the following two phases:

-- Phase I: Comprehensive nationally representative description of WIC nutrition education processes and features.

-- Phase II: Pilot study of the impact of WIC nutrition education on nutrition and other behaviors in six WIC sites.

This report presents the Phase I results of the study.

The Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer for Children (SEBTC) demonstration distributed a monthly benefit during the summer on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) EBT cards to children eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. The first two summers (2011 and 2012) tested a $60 benefit amount. Summer 2013 compared the impacts of a $30 benefit to a $60 benefit, and summer 2014 examined implementation strategies and benefit use patterns. This comprehensive report presents results from the analysis of pooled data from all summer demonstrations.

This report assesses that pilot and includes a qualitative evaluation of the vendor and ITO experiences and an assessment of pilot costs.